Links for October 23, 2006

It is simply false to imply the Bible is just a narrative that guides the Church. The Bible is not just a Shakespearian play to be adapted in the 5th act. How does one read Proverbs and say that? Or Deuteronomy? Or Ecclesiastes? At what point in the metanarrative of the Bible does Job fit, or Song of Solomon? Do they fit in at just one point, or are they stories somewhat distinct from the “general story” of the Bible? What about James, in the NT?

But the problem isn’t whether the Bible is perfect or imperfect, the problem is really about how we read the Bible. The Bible isn’t a fact book. The Bible isn’t a road map for life. The Bible isn’t factually correct 100% of the time. The Bible isn’t always about real events or real people. The Bible isn’t unbiased by agenda or culture. The Bible isn’t monolithic. The Bible is politically motivated. The Bible is at times primitive. The Bible is myth. And the Bible is difficult